Duchy Palace

This building known variously as Lostwithiel Great Hall, The Shire Hall, and most commonly as the 'Duchy Palace” is a reminder of the greatest days in the town’s history.

No one can be sure when work commenced on the range of buildings of which this formed a part, but circa 1289 Earl Edmund of Cornwall bought out the claim of one William of London to a parcel of land on which the "steps of the earls great hall had been built.' In 1291 he also bought out the rights of one Michael Quinta of “Lostudiel” to the land on which the 'Earls Great Hall, The Stannary Prison and the quay between The Hall and the river' were then standing. Edmund, son of Richard King of the Romans, and the grandson of Henry II was the last earl to reside in the county and he determined to build the capital of what was virtually a palatinate, in the shadow of his favourite residence Restormel. Earl Edmund's complex was built to house the government offices of the county.

In the county court the freeholders of Cornwall met to elect their two members of parliament from 1294 until 1832. This building was the Exchequer Hall for the payment of dues and taxes. There was also a Coinage Hall where a coign or corner was cut from each tin load for assay. Lostwithiel being, for a time, the only Stannary town in Cornwall.

In 1337 Edward III created the Duchy of Cornwall, the administrative activities of which were centered here throughout the middle ages. The buildings retained their importance into the Tudor period. The itinerant librarian of Henry VIII, John Leland, noted that “In Lostwithiel is the shir haul of Cornwall: therby is also the Coynage haul for tynn" (1533).

During the Civil War the Great Hall was damaged by the Parliamentary army. The Exchequer was forcibly entered and the Stannary's ancient records were burned. During the eighteenth century disputes among Cornwall's many tinners were heard here, just as they had been in the days of Earl Edmund. It was in 1752 that the last convocation of tinners was held in this building: twenty four stannators from the principal mining districts met under the auspices of the Lord Warden of the Stannaries.

In 1874 the long association with the Duchy ended; the offices were moved and part of the complex became dwelling houses. The local militia trained here and a slaughter-man operated in another part of the building. In 1878 the Freemasons of Cornwall bought part of the Exchequer Hall and both the exterior and the interior were reconstructed. The porch dates from this time, as do the Lodge ante-chambers. The two large gothic windows however were inserted in 1853. Below this hall are the strongly built and heavily buttressed vaults.

A perpetual reminder of the Hall's association with the Duchy is the Prince of Wales plume of three feathers on the point of the roof. The associations which this building has with the history of Cornwall is also recalled by the earliest representation of the fifteen bezants which dates from about 1660 and is cut in the east end of this building.

COMPILED BY B.J. WELLINGTON B.A.

Note: The above wording copied from a printed sheet which was distributed by The Masons as a fund raiser for the structure of the building. Date unknown, but believed to be 1990’s.